Being Point

Tag: communication

  • “A Child Who Does Not Play Is Not A Child, And The Man Who Does Not Play Has Lost Forever The Child Who Lived In Him” ~ Pablo Neruda

    Play has been celebrated by thinkers throughout history. How alive is the child within you? Do you give the child who lives inside you the permission to play? What about others? Do you allow them to be playful without judging them?

    Dr. Stuart Brown said, “Play allows us to develop alternatives to violence and despair; it helps us learn perseverance and optimism.”

    In other words, in an ironic twist: Play is seriously important! LOL

    Workplaces can be playful without being out of control. Humor and fun and play allow hugely greater degrees of relatedness among human beings and, thus, help us get along better and be happier in our relationships.

    Who do you play with? Is play integrated into your life? Do you teach, model and encourage others within your sphere of influence that play is positive and deserves encouragement? Hopefully, you have not, as Neruda wrote, lost forever the child who lived in you.

    Come out and play fair, play safe, play fun!  Please write and let us know how you are at play.

  • “Influencing With Integrity” ~ A Classic In The Field Of Sales And Negotiation Communication

    Writer Jay Abraham says, “Whatever area you work in, you do have clients and you do need to sell.”  This notion of  “everyone sells something” can be translated into “Everyone influences others” because selling is a form of influencing and persuading.

    What we have often objected to about selling is that it can include unfair or undue forms of influence or persuasion.  The stereotype of the “used car salesman” involves manipulation and psychological pressure – and, of course, we want to avoid that kind of behavior.

    However, persuasion and influence can be performed ethically. Genie Laborde’s book, Influencing With Integrity, is a classic in sales communication and I recommend it highly:

    How well are you at “influencing with integrity”?  Can you make the leap to seeing selling as influencing? What are the implications of this shift in perspective for you as both a seller and a buyer?